The Houthis have approached the city by 80 kilometers...

Adan (Caasimada Online) – The Houthis of Yemen allied with Iran have advanced to within 80 kilometers of the city of Adan, according to four military sources cited by the Reuters news agency.

Adan is the temporary capital and the largest base of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The Houthis have not approached the city in this manner since early 2015, when they briefly entered before being expelled.

This new attack has opened another front in the war that the United States and Israel are waging against Iran, and it has significantly escalated the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have increased their attacks on Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government. The Saudi-led coalition has also intensified its airstrikes targeting Houthi positions.

The renewed conflict has shattered the ceasefire mediated by the United Nations in 2022, which had largely halted the major offensives of the Yemen war. This war began in 2014 when the Houthis ousted the government from the capital Sana'a.

A key road at risk

The progress made by the Houthis is endangering strategic positions along the main road connecting Adan and the besieged city of Taiz. This road is crucial for movement in southwestern Yemen.

The attack is part of a broader offensive that began in September when the Houthis advanced southward to the Yemeni coast of the Red Sea, capturing areas near the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The waterway is one of the most important maritime trade routes in the world, and it also carries Saudi oil exported to Asia.

Military sources speaking to Reuters have stated that this development gives the Houthis an opportunity to shift their focus from the government forces stationed along the mountain chain adjacent to the Bab al-Mandab waterway. Government forces had only recently expelled the Houthis from those areas.

On the other hand, Houthi attacks on Aden, which has been the temporary capital of the government since 2015, have intensified in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, the group attacked the city's airport, after urging those present to evacuate. The presidential palace was also targeted in October.

Fighting ongoing at the Aden waterway

On Monday, fighting between the Houthis and government forces was taking place at a military camp located at the entrance to the Tur al-Bahah district, which is one of the main routes to Aden.

The camp is approximately 50 kilometers from the center of Lahij province, while Aden is 80 kilometers away.

Sources have reported that the Houthis began an attack on government positions in the Al-Maqatirah district three days ago, and since then have taken control of the entire district.

This district is situated in mountainous terrain above the road connecting Taiz and Aden. The Houthis have forced government forces to retreat towards Tur al-Bahah, according to those sources.

The Minister of Information of Yemen immediately responded to a request from Reuters to comment on this matter.

A Houthi official named Hamid Rizq released a video that he claimed shows the group's fighters entering the al-Rabouh market in the Al-Maqatirah district. Reuters was unable to quickly verify the authenticity of the video.

The road through this area has been the last route connecting Taiz and the areas controlled by the government during the ongoing conflict.

Taiz, which is the third largest city in Yemen, has been under siege since early October, when the Houthis cut off the main road leading south out of the city, connecting it to Aden.

The siege has displaced more than 100,000 people and has caused shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.